Ballard Partners is launching a Central and Eastern European practice and putting Gladden Pappin in charge of new offices in Budapest and Warsaw from Washington as managing partner.
Pappin said defense and energy offer the biggest growth opportunities as Europe rearms, citing Trump’s plan for a new U.S. military base in Poland and broader industry relocation into the region.
The hire gives Ballard a partner with ties to both JD Vance and former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; Pappin led the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and says this will be his first registered lobbying role.
Ballard is expanding into the region despite Orbán’s April ouster and possible election shifts, betting strategic U.S. ties, supply chains and infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe will outlast political turnover.
How will a prominent Washington insider navigate the complex defense and energy markets of Central Europe to secure lucrative transatlantic contracts?
What hidden opportunities await foreign investors as Eastern Europe rapidly rebuilds its supply chains and energy infrastructure amid ongoing regional security shifts?
Can Poland's massive defense spending and push for local manufacturing truly transform the region into Europe's leading military industrial hub?